Motor-control system



e. IRWIN. MOT R TROL SYST M! APPLIFIATION FILED DEC-13. 1920.

Patented May 16, 1922*.

F 2 J I a c I A V V 4 4 a 05f d i I l l \ll Q a5 O INVENTOR WITNESSES:

A J j @501 Ira 1'12 G. R. IRWIN.

MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-13. 1920.

1 41 032 Patented May 16, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' 1 INVENTOR WITNESSES: v V

fieorye Rfrwm q BY A-TTORNEY T n time $5M s Mar rii ics;f

GEORGE R. IRWIN, 01E TURTLE CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-Il'OIt T0 TESTING; HOUSE ELECTRIC 6 MANUFAGTURING COMPANY, ACOR-PORATION PENN- sYLvAmA.

To all whom it may concern: c

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. IRWIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Turtle Creek, in the county o-f i'lllegheny and. State ofPennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvementin Motoncontrol Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motor-control systerns and it has particular relation to systerns of'control for one man cars. One object of my invention is to provide a controlisystem for a one-man car whereby a motormanwill be compelled to alight from his car whenit arrivesata railroad cross ing; crossthetracks of the railroad and 0perat-e the car from a pointfrom which; he will have a clear View of the railroad tracks, as well asthe streetlonwhichthe carisoperating. I

For a betterunderstanding of my invention,.reference should be made to the accorn panying drawings- Figure 1 of which is a view, in side elevation, of ar'one-man car standing. near arail road crossing;

Fig-2-is aschematic view of-astationary controller and of a trolley wire, whichare shown in, Fig; 1 r I Fig. 3 isa .view, ,in side elevation-, of the face-plate of the controller shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.4 is a diagra-nmiatic view of the stationary: controller shown in Figs-1, 2 and 8 and of the associated, circuits;

Fig. 5 is a sequence 'chairt showing the order inrwhich the line switch and the acceleratillg. contactors shown in Fig.4 close;

Fig.- 16-is a schematicviewof a motor-controlsystem for a 'one mantcar to which my invention may be applied. l v

Referring:particularly to Fig. 1, a onemancar 1 operates upon a track 2. The car 1 has a-;trolley.pole3. to engagea trolley wire 4.: which, inpart, is duplex in form. I

The car liis operated by a motorman 5. who is shown .standingat astationary con troller 6, which is: securelyimounted upon a sidewalk adjacent to the curb 7 thereof,

A. railroad crossing, comprising twotracks MOTOR-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedlllaty 16, 1922,

Application filedDecember 13, 1920. Serial No.430,158

S, is shown located between the car 1 the stationary controller 6:- The controller 6 is so located that the motorman 5 has anunobstructed view, in'hoth directions, along the railroad tracks 8, as well as along the street upon which the car 1 is operated. Y

Referring to F ig'. 2, the illustrated duplex portion or the trolley wire 4 comprises'a pair of fdead central portions 12 and-13, which aresepa-rated from the'end portions, certain '01 which are alive, as will be evi dent-from the drawing, by means of a plurality of sectionbreaks 9. A circuitous path 11 is provided to electrically connect-the two energized main portionsof the trolleywvire 4. The section 12 of trolley wire & may be energized when a circuit is established through the stationarycontroller 6, as subsequently described in detaiL- 4 y Referring to Fig. 6, a motor 16, having an armature 17 and a series field-magnet winding 18, is mounted upon the car 1 which it propels. The motor 16' is associatedwith a motor-control system comprising a circuitbreaker 19; a master controller-21 and'a starting" resistor 22. The controller2l isprovided with a handle 28 which may be .removed therefronr The car 1 is provided with brakesuwhich are'opera-tedby air that may be" supplied from a reservoir (not shown) through pipes 24: and '25, to an.electro-pneumatic valve 26.

The electro-pneumatic valve 26 comprisesa central chamber 27, an inlet chamber 28 and an outletchamber 29, .in accordance with standard practice; Valve plugs 31 and 32- control the supply-of air from the inlet cl'iamber 28 into the central chamber 27 and from the central chamber 27 to the outlet chamber 29, respectively. The valves31 and 32 are mechanically connected by ashaft which isfiaotuated by an electromagnet 34. A pipe 35 delivers air from the central chains .ber 27' of the electro-pneumatic valve 26 to.

operate thebrakes (not shown) ofthe car;

The'valve plug 31 is maintained normally openandthe valve plug 32 normally closed by means of a springBG. Air pressure is continuously applied'to, thebrakes unless the electromagnet 34 is energized or unless the motorman maintains the handle 23 in its lower position to close a valve 37, which connects the pipe 2 1 to the pipe 25.

In Figs. 3 and 4c, the stationary controller 6 is shown as having an off position and a plurality of operating positions a, b, c and Id- A starting resistor 38 is associated with the stationary controller 6, and portions thereof may be shunted by accelerating conta'ctors 39, ll and 12. A line switch or circuit-breaker 13 is provided for connecting the conductor 15 to the starting resistor The car 1 is ordinarily operated by the motorman actuating the master controller 21 by means of the handle 23. It is necessary for the doors of the car to be closed prior to the operation thereof, as one or more door-switches 4: 1, which are connected, in se ries relation with a control circuit comprising the actuating coil of the circuit-breaker 19, are closed only when thedoors assume their closed position.

\Vhen the controller 21 is actuated to position a, a circuit is established from the trolley wire 4, through trolley pole 3, the actuating coil of line switch or circuit-breaker 19, resistor 45, contact segment 4-6 of master controller 21, door switch 44: and the actuating coil of electromagnet 3st of pneumatic valve 26, to ground.

The actuating coil of the electromagne-t 31 being energized, inlet valve plug 31 will be closed and outlet valve plug 32 opened, thereby removing the pressure from the car brakes. I I The actuating coil of the circuit-breaker 19 being energized, the circuit-breaker will close, thereby establishing a circuit from the trolley pole 3, through the co-operating contact members of circuit-breaker 19, drum segment a? of master controller 21, starting resistor 22, armature l7 and series fieldmagnet winding 18 of the motor 16, to ground.

The motor 16 may be further accelerated by actuating the master controller 21 through the subsequent positions 5, 0, (Z' and e. F or the sake of simplicity, the master controller 21 is shown in very simple form but it will be understood that my invention may. readily be employed in conjunction with a more elaborate controller for governing a larger number of motors.

When the car 1 arrives near the railroad tracks 8, the prolley pole 3 will encounter the ale-energized portion 12 of the trolley wire 1, thereby stopping the motor 16 and causing air to be applied to the brakes. The car 1 is thus automatically stopped before I reaching the railroad tracks 8. It will then be necessary for the motorman to remove the handle 23 on theicontroller 21, after he has opened the doors of the car. The corn actuating coils of circuit-breaker 19 and of electromagnet 34E. 1

The motorman 5 next crosses the railroad tracks 8 and, after ascertaining whether it will be safe to operate the car 1 over the railroad crossing, heapplies the handle .13 to the shaft of the stationary controller 6 and actuates the controller from its oil position to position a.

A. circuit is thereupon established from trolley wire 1- through conductors 11 and 1 1, resistor 19, contact segment 51 of master controller 6 and the actuating coil of line switch or circuit-breaker 13 to ground.

The circuit-breaker 13 being closed, a circuit is established from the trolley wire a through conductors 11 and 14, starting resistor 38, the co-operating con'tact'members 0t circuit-breaker 43 and conductor 15 to the de-energized portion 12 of the trolley wire. The section 12 now being energized, a circuit is established therefrom through the trolley pole 3, the master controller 21, starting resistor 22 and motor 16 to ground, as has heretofore been described.

The brakes of the car will also be retracks 8, the motorman returns the stationary controller 6 to its off position, thereby deenergizing the trolley-wire portion 12 and the motor 16. A dead trolley-wire extension 12 may also be provided to .pre vent the motorman trom'operating the car 1 too great a distance beyond the place where the master controller 6 is located.

After the car 1 has travelled'beyond the crossing, 8, the motorman opens the doors of the car by placing the handle 23 upon the mechanical device 48 and actuating it. Upon the doors of the car being. opened. the switch 1 1 is opened, thereby prevent ing energization of the actuating coil of the circuit-breaker 19 and the actuatingcoil'of theelectromagnet 34:. i i

.The motorman transfers the trolley pole 3' from the de-energized portion 12 or the forget to open the doors before transferring the trolley pole from a (lo-energized trolley wire portion to a live section of the trolley wire, he can stop the car by merely pulling the trolley pole 3 from the trolley wire 4t, thereby de-energizing the motor 16 and setting the brakes.

It will be noted that material advantages obtain by employing the controller handle 23 for closing the car doors when the motorman is outside of the car, and for operating the stationary controller 6 since, without the handle 23, it is impossible for any one within the car to operate the controller 21. Furthermore, the employment of the handle 23 to actuate the stationary controller 6 prevents any one from operating that controller unless the handle 23 is in his possession and also prevents the motorman from forgetting to remove the handle 23 from the stationary controller 6, as he will be unable to operate his car unless he does so.

l/Vhile I have shown my invention in a preferred form, it is apparent that minor modifications in the arrangement of circuits and theconstruction of apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. I desire, therefore, to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

, 1. The combination with a vehicle and a motor mounted thereon for actuating said vehicle, of a trolley wire having an energized. portion and a normally de-energized portion, a stationary controller relatively removed from said vehicle for governing the operation of said motor by energizing said normally de-energized portion.

2. The combination with a vehicle and a motor mounted thereon for actuating said vehicle, of a conductor for energizing said motor, said conductor having a ole-energized section and a stationary controller relatively removed from said vehicle for controlling the energization of said de-energized section of said conductor.

3. The combination with a vehicle having a door and a motor for driving said vehicle, of a master controller for governing said motor during normal running conditions, a stationary controller relatively removed from said vehicle to govern said motor during abnormal running conditions, means for actuating said door and a detachable handle ca,-

pable of actuating said means and saidcontrollers.

4E. The combination with a vehicle and a motor mounted thereon, of a trolley conducof a master controller for governing said motor during normal running conditions, a stationary controller relatively removed from said vehicle to govern said motor during abnormal running conditions, a detachable handle for actuating said controllers,- and means operated by said handle for closing saiddoor from the exterior of the vehicle, said stationary controller only being capable of operating said car upon said door occupying a predetermined position.

6. The combination with a vehicle and a motor mounted thereon to actuate said vehicle, of a trolley conductor for energizing said motor, a normally de-energized trolley section for stopping said motor, a controller for governing the normal operation of said motor, a braking device for stopping said vehicle, and means comprising a controller relatively removed from said vehicle for governing said motor and releasing said braking device by energizing said section.

7. The combination with an electric vehicle, a controller for governing the operation of said vehicle and a trolley conductor for energizing said vehicle, of a controller relatively removed from said vehicle for operating said vehicle upon the arrival thereof at a deenergized portion of said trolley conductor.

8. The combination with a vehicle, and a motor mounted thereon to drive said vehicle, of a trolley conductor for energizing said motor, a controller for governing the operation of said motor, an electro-pneumatic braking device for stopping said vehicle, and means comprising a controller relatively removed from said motor for governing the energiaation of said motor and releasing said braking device upon the arrival of said vehicle at a de-energized portion of said trolley conductor.

9. The combination with an electric motor, a master controller for operating said motor during normal operating conditions and an auxiliary controller for operating said motor during abnormal running conditions, of a handle which must be removed from said master controller, and applied to said auxiliary controller for actuating said motor.

10. The combination with a vehicle and a motor for operating said vehicle, of a master controller for governing said motor, a stationary controller relatively removed from said vehicle for governing said motor durit being necessary to transfer said handle "from one of said controllers to the other of said controllers before actuating it.

11. The combination with a vehicle having a door and a motor for driving said vehicle, of a master controller for governing the operation of said motor during normal running conditions, a stationary controller relatively removed from said vehicle to govern said motor during abnormal running conditions, and a single device capable of actuating said door and said controllers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of December, 1920.

GEORGE R. IRWIN. 

